Vallejo Fined $65,000 for Sexist Comments at French Open

Adolfo Daniel Vallejo received a $65,000 fine at the French Open after making comments about the gender of the umpire in his second-round match, event organizers stated on Monday. Vallejo criticized the umpiring choice following his loss to Moise Kouame in a grueling five-set match that extended nearly five hours.

The Paraguayan player remarked to the tennis website Clay that intense matches require male umpires, saying, “It’s very difficult for a woman to do it.” His match outcome was 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8).

Amelie Mauresmo, the director of Roland Garros, mentioned that Vallejo’s actions incurred a fine amounting to about half of his prize earnings for reaching the second round, where players receive 130,000 euros ($151,000). The organizers later clarified the fine was in dollars and not euros.

Mauresmo stated, “This is clearly unacceptable. Once again, such remarks have no place here.”

Vallejo claimed that the Brazilian umpire, Ana Carvalho, failed to manage the spectators properly. He argued that a male referee was needed for the challenging crowd at the match.

Vallejo said, “The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they’re supporting their compatriot. It’s quite an intense crowd… it didn’t harm me, but rather strengthened him.”

The player also accused Kouame of excessive stalling during the match. He described situations where Kouame allegedly lay on the ground or delayed play, emphasizing the difficulty this posed for the umpire to handle.